Nowhere to Hide
by Jedi Master Calriel
Summary: AU. Set in the movie Scarlett, Mary never got pregnant, Colum never died, Fenton has become abusive, Anne had died, and Scarlett is suffering to protect her family. Better than it sounds.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Gone With The Wind or Scarlett.

A/N: This is set in the movie Scarlett, not the book. This is an AU. Set after Anne's death, Mary never got pregnant, and Colum never died. Lord Fenton took Scarlett to England, abused her, raped her, and has done so ever since. He was not killed because Mary was not there to kill him. Now, on with the story.

Nowhere to Hide

Chapter 1

Scarlett hated herself for being weak. She was Gerald O'Hara's daughter, the O'Hara of Ballyhara. How could she let a man make her feel this way? She was a fighter, she had always been, so why couldn't she fight now? She knew the answer to that, or rather the answers. Before she had always had Rhett beside her, before she had never met an enemy that would threaten her loved ones to gain her submission.

Colum knew something was wrong, she knew he did, but she wouldn't dare breathe a work to him that could result in his being hurt by Fenton. He was worried about her, it showed in his actions, but he could never know the truth.

However, there was one person that she couldn't protect by just being silent. She had to get her darling Cat as far away from Fenton as possible, there was no doubt about that. And there was only one way for her to do it. She had to tell Rhett.

He would be furious with her, but he would come. He would probably hate her for all eternity, but he would come. For his daughter, he would travel to the moon and back.

Scarlett sighed as she entered her house after sending off her letter. She hated the fact that she had had to tell him via a letter, but hated even more the fact that she had lied to him. She had no choice though.

"Scarlett, my dear," Fenton called as he entered the foyer with a malicious smile. "And what have you been out doing?"

Anger surged within her and could not be denied. In a moment of boldness, she opted to tell the truth. "Writing to my ex-husband telling him to come collect his daughter."

The flash of fury in the English Lord's eyes told her that she had just made a mistake.

Rhett looked at the envelope on the table with uncertainty. Why was Scarlett writing him now? She had sent her condolences to him upon Anne's death, of course, but he had gotten the distinct impression that she would not be writing again. It would seem that he was wrong. He opened the letter with some hesitancy.

__

Dear Rhett,

I am writing to you to inform you that you have a daughter. I am aware that this information is long overdue. I am also aware that you must be quite angry at not being told now. Forgive me. I am writing to ask you to come and fetch her from Ireland. I am with a new man now and want no remainder of our past together in my new relationship.

Scarlett

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Nowhere to Hide

Chapter Two

Scarlett was afraid. She had sent Rhett the letter about a month ago and hadn't received a word from him. She prayed he would come, prayed that she was right and that he hadn't changed. Fenton was enraged to learn that she had written him, even more so because she had led everyone to believe that she was a widow. He had been even more violent as of late. Fortunately, she had managed to divert his attention away from her darling daughter and the rest of her family. However, that only made it worse on her.

'_Rhett,'_ she thought. '_Please hurry. I know that you don't love me anymore, but please come, for Cat, for our daughter!'_

OoooOoooOoooOoooO

He was going to kill her! How dare she keep something like this from him? She knew how much this would mean to him. Oh, Scarlett was going to pay, Rhett silently vowed as he walked toward the house. Last time he saw her, he was so sure that she had matured, become more of an adult. He thought that these cruel games of hers were over.

Angrily, he knocked on the door with as much restraint as possible.

The door swung open to reveal her, but she was different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something off about Scarlett's appearance. Her eyes were dull, her hair listless. She looked sickly. His anger slowly evaporated and suspicion took its place. What was the real reason she had revealed their child at this time?

OoooOoooOoooOoooO

She opened the door with trepidation. It could be _him_. Slowly, she looked up to see the form of Rhett Butler standing in front of her. She could have sighed in relief, but she kept it in. No need to make him even more suspicious. Because that was what he had become when he took in her appearance. Oh, this wouldn't do at all.

"Won't you come in, Rhett? I'm sure you want an explanation," she said, ushering him into the sitting room.

"I would like one, Scarlett," he replied candidly, taking the seat she offered.

"Well," she said, sitting down herself. "I am sorry I didn't tell you before. I was going to, only, you divorced me before I could. Then I came here, and decided to stay. The next time I saw you, you were already married to Anne. I knew how you were with your children. You would have wanted to take her from me. At the time, I couldn't have bared that at the time."

"And what changed, Scarlett? Why do you want me to take her now?" Rhett asked, knowing there was something more to this than a new lover.

With him piercing her with those eyes that she knew would see through any lie she could invent, she didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him the truth. He probably wouldn't care anyway. She decided to just sidestep the question.

"That doesn't matter, Rhett. Would you like to meet your daughter?"

Tbc…

Sorry it took so long. Please review!


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